Sinope (from the Amberley Castle 'Heroines of Antiquity') (Amberley Queens)

Sinope, listed among the heroines of antiquity in the Amberley Castle programme, was a figure from classical geography and mythology — the city of Sinope on the Black Sea shore was associated with various legendary narratives. The inclusion of lesser-known figures alongside celebrated heroines like Tomyris and Zenobia reflects the scholarly depth of the Amberley programme, which required access to humanist compilations of female biography well beyond the standard classical curriculum. Lambert Barnard evidently worked from learned textual sources in designing the series, probably with the assistance of the Bishop's household scholars.

Oil on panel. Lesser-known heroines in such series often have more indeterminate attributes, the painter relying on inscription rather than iconographic symbol to carry the identification. Within the uniform series format, Sinope's panel maintains the same compositional structure as its more famous neighbours.